My favourite resources: January – March 2024

My favourite resources: January – March 2024

I’ve been looking forward to sitting down to write this week’s blog – the first quarterly reflection of 2024 – but what I wasn’t expecting is that I’m writing it from home because we had a pretty crackers last day at Thea Baker Wellbeing before the Easter break.  I walked into the practice last Thursday to find water running down the stairs and under the front door.  When I unlocked the door, the lights were all off (water was in the electrics so blew the fuses) and there was water pouring down through the lights, smoke detector and there was water all the way through the two practice rooms, the kitchen, and the bathroom!  Quite a shock!

Turns out the shop above the practice had a faulty water filter and water had been pouring out of it for several hours (based on the amount of water everywhere).  We spent the day ripping up carpet tiles, mopping and rescuing the things that we could.  Blowers and humidifiers were running by 3pm and continued 24/7 for most of the Easter weekend.  At this stage we’re hoping that we’ll be able to re-open for in-person sessions by Monday 8^th April but that is all hanging on the carpet fitters being able get their thing done in time so we will keep you posted.  The landlords have been fabulous and believe so strongly in the work that we do that they’re pushing to get us up and running again as quickly as possible.  We are so very sorry for all the disruptions, reschedules and switch to online telehealth sessions and we’re so very thankful for your support.

Anyway, getting to the point of this week’s blog and the thing that is at the core of everything I share on here: I really want it to be a useful space where people can find all sorts of therapeutically relevant information, mixed up with a good dollop of personal reflections and ramblings with a sprinkling of humour for good measure.  I also want it to be a place where you can find links to all the resources that I share with clients, things that I think have strong therapeutic merit or that are innovative and really want people to see.  It also gives you an insight into me, what I believe in, how I practice, and I hope it helps to provide some tangible illustrations of my core values: authenticity, curiosity, integrity, openness, and respect.

Therapy isn’t just about what happens in session.  I’m all about being creative with therapy – that’s what the whole ‘therapy. done differently’ is about.  I believe that therapy can also come in the form of blogs, podcasts, books and conversations with other people who are important to your healing.

So here are some of my favourite blogs, websites, books, apps etc. that I’ve been devouring – would love to hear what you think of them and hear what you’ve been busy enjoying as I’m always on the lookout for inspiration!

Podcasts / YouTube interviews:

I’m down a deep podcast rabbit hole at the moment so I’m going to share a few of my favourites lately:

• Steven Bartlett (DOAC) – Episode 34 Dr Aria: Mental health, marriage and mindfulness
• Steven Bartlett (DOAC) – Episode 56 Dr Aria: (again)
• Steven Bartlett (DOAC) – Elizabeth Day: on heartbreak, miscarriage and failure (April 19^th 2021)
• The Imperfects – Lael Stone: parent yourself first (21^st January 2024)
• The Dr Louise Newson podcast – Episode 241 Women, ADHD and hormones

I’ve been doing a couple of interviews on podcasts too this quarter:

• The You Project – with Craig Harper
• How I quit alcohol – with Danni Carr
• The Women’s Fitness Podcast – with Mish Wright

Books:

I’ve been doing a lot of Uni reading because I’ve been conducting a Systematic Review, but I have spent some reading-time away from academia too:

• Consent Laid Bare: Sex, entitlement, and the distortion of desire by Chantel Contos
• You are the one you’ve been waiting for: Applying Internal Family Systems to intimate relationships by Dr Richard Schwartz

Apps:

• Balance – by Newson Health – an app all about tracking and understanding perimenopausal symptoms

Here’s a reminder of the support services that are available 24/7 because therapy isn’t for everyone, it’s not available 24/7 and our challenges don’t always fit neatly into our therapy sessions (if we do therapy):

• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 46 36
• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 18 00
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• MensLine – 1300 78 99 78
• QLife – 1800 184 527
• Find your local CAT Team (Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team) https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/crisis-management

If you’d like a space to talk about how you’re feeling, please get in touch with us: www.theabaker.com.au / hello@theabaker.com.au / 03 9077 8194